Garden seeder with dispenser having vibratory means and variable seed discharge means



March 13, 1951 HOFFMAN 2,544,960

GARDEN SEEDER WITH DISPENSER HAVING VIBRATORY MEANS AND VARIABLE SEEDDISCHARGE MEANS Filed Feb. 6, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I fl/GEA/E HOFFMAA/March 13, 1951 E. HOFFMAN 2,544,960

GARDEN SEEDER WITH DISPENSER HAVING VIBRATORY MEANS AND VARIABLE SEEDDISCHARGE MEANS Filed Feb. 6, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 13,1951 GARDENTSEEDERWHH Dis NsERlHAiZiNG vregarohYjmEdNs AND'VARIABLEJsEED DISCHARGEJMEANS Engenelioffmamiilatonia, Saskatchewan;Canada ;''i nis-"mvenuoni relates toa; 'garden seedrwith dispenser:having vibratory means and variable seed-discharge means, and has -'forone of its op'jeets the" production are simple and emnant seederordrillhaving anadjust able dispenser for plantinggallkinds 'of 'gardenseed -in' an e'ven 'r'nan ner'according tothe-size' of the seeds.

A further objectpf this invention is the production of a simpleand'e'fii'cient means for agidating or vibfatihg the-seed dispenserso:that, the seed will flow freely and easily-therefrom?and may beaaustere seens s e ae -reri types- Othen objects and advan'ages of thisinvention willfappear throughout the following specifica" tioriandclaim;

In the. drawings: Figurefl; is'a top plan View" or; the "seed'e'r ortainparts'bein'g broken away;

, "Figure 3 is a' fragmentary longitudinal sem ti'onal view of theseeder or drill: certain parts being shown in side'eleva'liony Figure 4'is a transversesectional viewofagitating wheel;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the seed dispenser;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the seed dispenser;

Figure 7 is a plan View of the encircling band which regulates thedischarge of seed from the dispenser accord ng to size.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that Ill designates theframe of the device which consistsof a pair of parallel rails II. Theframe I0 is supported by a front wheel 12 and a rear or agitating wheell3. These wheels l2 and I3 are journaled between theparallel rails II,as shown in Figure 1. Suitable guiding handles 14 extend rearwardly andupwardl of the frame It! and are braced by the braces l5, l8 and H.

The rear or agitating wheel I3 is provided with an agitating band 18having a scalloped rim I9 which rin'i' i9 is engaged by the periphery ofa channeled wheel 2!] in the nature of a pinion. This wheel or pinion 20is carried by the upper end of the upwardly extending portion 2| of thelongitudinally extending agitating shaft 22. The shaft 22 is journaledon the bearing plates 23 which are mounted on the upper face of one ofthe rails H of the frame it. The agitating shaft 22 is also providedwith a forward upwardly extending end 24.

A A dispenser 25 is carried by the frame Ill near the forward endthereof and is journaled upon 'upperend-in a rearwardlyinclined positionas upwardly and rarwardly-inclinedfsuppcrtifijg; spindieflli" tosupport'the dispenser-'25 with its vided*with a centralfelongatedfjournal 0which the spindle 2'5 fi'ts. Thejb'nrnatl 2 1 1's.

shown in Figure}; The'di spenser 25is p1 peri ee 'is also providedinearit's bot'to rn at'Jone side with-a dispensing'aperturefor portfZ "Avselectingfband 304 fits aroundthe- Ease of the. dispenser 25 and isclamped in pfo'sition fe overlapping:-ho'oked ends: 31 "The-band"provided with a 1ura1ityof seed-dispensihg; tch s al gr wer si er fibgres sively diminishing sires extending-from end to end, 5 shown in--Figur'e 0 '7. A- plurality of V-sh'ap edf btol'i'es '33fare1f0rniedalongfthe upperedge of the 3fioppo site the notches}; lug 3'4 iscarriedby one sid'eroff tii e dispense'r 2'5 dire'ctlypverthe?dispensing'aperture :or" port 2 The lu gi34"isfprovided with" ataprihgtoothfil 5%): which is adapteditb e in one r tn selectedV-shapednotches 33ofjthe bandjil'an 1d the band? 0 in" a":selected"positiorrjto:regulate ih site of -the-seed*discliarge* opening'ih the di'spen '1' 25. B rotatingthe band-flll around hie base of thedispenser 25, the notch 32 of the -desiredsihe, may be brought intoregistration with the aperture or port 29. The dispenser 25 is slidableupwardly upon the spindle 26 to permit the tapering tooth 35a to rideover the notches 33. The flow of selected size seeds may in this mannerbe regulaed by adjusting the band 30 upon the dispenser 25.

A tapering collecting trough 35 is located below the discharge port 29of the dispenser 25 and is provided with a discharge opening 36 whichempties into the ground shoe 38 of the conventional type. The collectingtrough 35 is provided with an open upper end which is inclined upwardlyand rearwardly of the frame It! in a proper direction so that anoperator gripping the handles l4 in the rear of the trough 35 mayobserve the seed or grain flowing through the trough and therebyascertain whether or not the seed or grain is being delivered to theground shoe for planting. The operaor may in this manner he keptadvised, without minute inspection, when the supply of seed or grain hasbeen exhausted from the dispenser 25. The bottom of the dispenser 25carries a crank arm 39 which is mounted to oscillate upon the spindle 26betweenthe plates 40 and El and is fixed to the dispenser 25.. A link 42connects the outer end. of the crank arm 39 to the upwardly extendingforward end 24 of the agitating shaft 22. A tension return spring 43 isconnected to the end 24 and link 42 at one end and to the frame It! atits other end.

As the device travels in a forward direction, the scalloped edge IQ ofthe band 18, which constitutes a ratchet crown drive will move the wheelor pinion inwardly and outwardly, thereby causing the shaft 22 tooscillate. This operation will cause the dispenser 25 to oscillate witha rocking motion. The contents of the dispenser 25 will in this way beagitated and the seed will drop out through the port 29. The dispenser25 is set at an angle of about 45 so that an operator may easily viewthe con .ents thereof through the open upper end of the dispenser. Thedispenser 25 loosely fits over the spindle 26 and ma therefore be easilyremoved or detached for refilling or emptying. i

It should be noted that as the wheel or pinion 20 rollsover thescalloped edge ll! of the band [8, the shaft 22 will be caused toproperly oscillate and the tension of the spring 43 will hold the wheel20 firmly in engagement with the scalloped edge 19 of the band l8 andcause the wheel to closely follow the undulating conformation of theband IS. The seed within the dispenser 25 will be forced to flow throughthe discharge port 29 by gravity, and as sta.ed above the band 30 isproperly adjusted to cause seed of the desired type or size to bedischarged from the dispenser x 25. The conventional shoe 38 willpenetrate the ground to the desired depth so as to properly sow theseed.

It should be noted also that in view of the fact that the dispenser isadjustable and removable and is placed in such a position that the seedwill flow freely therefrom, and the seed will not be-- come broken ordamaged in any way during the seeding operation. Furthermore, thedispenser is in such a position as to permit the operator to see thecontents of the dispenser at all times.

Certain detail changes in the construction of the seeder or drill may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as suchchanges fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

A device of the class described comprising a frame having a forward anda rear end, a dispenser carried intermediate the ends of said frame andsupported in a rearwardly and upwardly inclined position, a troughhaving an open upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper end for receivingthe contents of the trough from a point near the rear end of the frameas the contents pass through the trough from the dispenser, saiddispenser having a base provided with a discharge port, the dischargeport of the dispenser being loca ed within the open inclined upper endofsaid trough, an upwardl and rearwardly inclined spindle carried by theframe, said dispenser being rotatably mounted upon said spin- (he, meansfor agitating said dispenser upon the Spindle to facilitate thedispensing of the contents thereof from said dispenser, a rotatablyadjustable band locked in a selecled position upon and encircling thebase of the dispenser, and said band having various sized openingsformed therein adapted to be brought into selective registration withsaid port to regulate the discharge of the contents of said dispenserfrom said port.

EUGENE HOFFMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Martin Nov. 20, 1923

